Our second annual partner event brought together industry leaders, innovators, and more than 25 of our partner carriers to explore emerging trends, share insights, and most of all build and expand partnerships toward mutual success.

Dohop PartnerConnect 2023 kicked off with an update on the aviation market landscape by Ian Luck from T2RL, which was followed by an engaging session by Sebastien Touraine from IATA on the role of partnerships in the airline retailing transformation.

A highlight of the event was the partnership panel, which brought easyJet, Norse Atlantic Airways, Vueling, and Deutsche Bahn on stage to discuss their perspectives on unlocking connectivity and providing value through new partnerships.

One key takeaway from the conference was how technology can support simple and flexible partnerships and connectivity for the benefit of passengers. Dohop PartnerConnect shed light on how collaborative efforts can allow carriers to tap into new pools of demand to unlock growth opportunities. 

The future of partnerships creates the opportunity to foster collaboration between different stakeholders in the travel ecosystem to meet the evolving demands and expectations of passengers. Sustainable partnerships that prioritize customer needs were at the heart of the conference, supported by the many opportunities to network and discuss new opportunities. 

Dohop PartnerConnect 2023 was a resounding success, bringing together a diverse range of perspectives and ideas on the future of partnerships and, first and foremost, bringing together our partner carriers to network, build on existing relationships, and forge new ones. 

Embracing the Future of Partnerships: Highlights from Dohop PartnerConnect 2023

Technology is increasingly powering travel, ushering in more innovation in aviation, and changing the game with new connections 

As demand for sustainable travel continues to grow, new opportunities are expected for air-to-ground connections

Through technological innovation and a finely attuned company culture, Dohop empowers airlines and ground transportation operators, like rail companies, to simplify partnerships within the travel industry so that new destinations, travel combinations and services are available and more accessible to travellers.

A Moment With: David Gunnarsson, CEO Dohop

Today, more than ever, it’s vital that technology empowers travel retailers and suppliers to grow and optimise their networks, tap into new pools of customer demand, and realise new retailing opportunities with more travel options. 

To harness just this, Dohop facilitates partnerships across airlines and ground transportation providers, including rail companies, so that new destinations, travel combinations, and services are available to travellers. Dohop’s technology helps airlines provide more travel and service choices to passengers. As an early disruptor, it has brought a lot of agility with its airline partnerships, helping them sell and service more connected journeys.

Dohop’s technology allows airlines to expand their network and make worldwide destinations available without committing to often cumbersome interline agreements that may or may not be profitable. Partner airlines can make simpler connections via Dohop’s technology and have protection from delays or cancellations, which may result in missed connecting flights. 

"Travel is a complex business. There’s always information asymmetry, so when passengers book a trip, they don’t always have all the information they need at their fingertips. That’s where Dohop comes in."

Dohop makes connections that will surprise air travellers

Some of the opportunities Dohop can create can surprise, too. For example, does easyJet serve New York? No. However, via a Dohop-facilitated connection with low-fare, long-haul airline Norse Atlantic Airways, also operating at London’s Gatwick Airport, such an itinerary is available to book.

Testament to Dohop’s success today is a global network of over 75 airline partners and a growing team in several international locations, complementing its HQ in Reykjavik.

In this CBS News interview, David also shares his management style, the importance of adapting to airline cultures globally, and how he’s excited to expand the business through widened itineraries – beyond air to rail, boats and ferries, even buses - as passengers look for more comprehensive and inclusive offers that better cover their travel needs.

He talks about the importance of understanding airline cultures and how Dohop adapts its sales approach accordingly. 

"Every airline is individual, which makes our work very interesting," he says. "Whether they are seven or 70 years old, they can be very different creatures, so we have to learn and adapt in every case. As a CEO in a fast-moving business, it’s important to constantly evaluate how I can provide the most value at any given time.” 

He describes his leadership style as fairly hands-off. “I step back and try to empower people, give them the opportunity to make their own decisions. Sometimes, it takes more time, but the ultimate benefit is significantly more. It’s a fine line, but giving people the freedom to operate means we hire people who want to come to work, share our values, culture, and the business itself, so you end up with something magical."

The buoyant tech start-up scene in Iceland has highly educated people and a supportive government. David counts himself lucky to be supported by an experienced Chair, John Nicholson (formerly chair of Skyscanner and numerous other businesses).

Are there plans to broaden the Dohop service offering?

"I expect we will be a different business in five years time. We started our journey by connecting only two flights, air-to-air, then we added air-to-rail, and now we’re exploring connecting airlines with other modes of transport, which will become significant. We see increasing demand worldwide for more sustainable travel as we all seek to reduce our carbon footprint. That said, we are not interested in the last mile - our focus will remain firmly on the scheduled transport portion of the journey."

Dohop is a European market leader for alternative interline solutions, based in Reykjavik, Iceland. Through facilitating simple and profitable air-to-air and air-to-ground interline partnerships, Dohop empowers airlines and their intermodal partners to unlock unlimited connections and tap into new demand through new partnership opportunities.

Founded in 2004, Dohop’s team of 100 passionate travel technology experts has enabled new opportunities for connecting journeys for the company’s ever-growing network of 75 airlines and travel providers, including easyJet, Transavia, Air France, Vueling, and Air Transat.

Filmed and produced by Acumen Media as part of 'The Forum Interviews' series. For more information please visit: AcumenStories

CBS News "A Moment With..." features David Gunnarsson, CEO Dohop, to talk technology and innovation as a guiding force in travel

Jazeera Airways today announced its new partnership with Icelandic technology provider, Dohop. 

Jazeera Global enables passengers to book connections from Jazeera flights on to other airlines to various destinations in a single seamless booking process, on the Jazeera website and App.

Jazeera Global enables passengers to book connections from Jazeera flights on to other airlines to various destinations in a single seamless booking process.

With the help of Dohop’s API-based technology, Jazeera will have access to a network of airlines, including Turkey-based Pegasus Airlines, allowing customers to book tickets across airlines that do not have traditional interline or code-sharing agreements.

Initially there are 23 new destination options which connect with Jazeera flights including London, Amsterdam, Dusseldorf, Athens plus regional airports in Turkey.

“This is a unique offering to help our passengers connect from Kuwait to destinations in Europe. We are pleased to be working with Dohop and their platform and look forward to expanding the service over time.”

“We are thrilled to be expanding our presence in the Middle East. Partnering with an innovative and forward-thinking airline like Jazeera only highlights the need for alternative interline solutions in international markets. We anticipate extending our collaboration with Jazeera as we enter the final quarter of 2022 and expanding their offering through additional partner connections,“

Jazeera Airways Launches ‘Jazeera Global’ in partnership with Dohop

Airline to offer air-rail connections in Germany

Our platform allows Vueling and Deutsche Bahn to provide passengers with an enhanced travel experience and a one-stop-shop for booking their combined journey.

Vueling, an airline belonging to IAG, and Deutsche Bahn, Germany’s leading railway company and the world’s second-largest transport company, have reached an agreement to connect different types of transport and offer air to rail connections for Vueling passengers.

Using Vueling Global, the virtual interline platform powered by Dohop www.dohop.com, customers can easily and conveniently purchase tickets using one booking process, combining their flight with train connections to different destinations across Germany. Connections between the two types of transport can be made at Berlin Brandenburg Airport to cities such as Dresden, Hannover, Leipzig, Rostock and Wolfsburg.

With the intermodal travel link, Vueling extends the catchment area of BER to the surrounding cities and seamlessly links it with destinations across Europe. The booking of multiple mobility options through one platform is another step toward sustainability of the entire travel chain.

Distribution Strategy and Alliances Manager of Vueling

“This is Vueling’s first intermodal agreement and opens the door to an increasingly strong trend in the industry to connect different types of transport and mobility, thus increasing the offer and options for the passenger. In addition, we must highlight the environmental factor and the relevance that trains are acquiring in this as a means of sustainable mobility”.

“Our platform allows Vueling and Deutsche Bahn to provide passengers with an enhanced travel experience and a one-stop-shop for booking their combined journey. Customers will have the opportunity to experience Vueling’s signature flight experience while also adding their onward journey by rail in one booking. Linking flight and train travel seamlessly through intermodal transfer options is a further step towards improved and more sustainable travel.”

Dohop is an Icelandic technology company with 17 years of experience in developing innovative solutions in aviation and travel. Our core technology focuses on helping people find and create connecting itineraries. Being at the forefront of digital innovation in virtual interline technology, Dohop has developed solutions such as Dohop Interline and Dohop Intermodal for forward-thinking airlines, alliances, and airports around the globe, including easyJet, Transavia, Air France, Eurowings, Vueling, and Air Transat. www.dohop.com

Deutsche Bahn AG is Germany’s leading railway company and the second-largest transport company in the world after Deutsche Post / DHL. It is Europe’s largest rail operator and infrastructure owner. In 2019, DB’s passenger transport companies carried around 4.8 billion passengers.

Vueling, a company belonging to IAG, is a key player in connections in Spain, the largest domestic market in Europe, and contributes to the economic and tourism development in the region.  

For summer 2022, the carrier has more than 320 short and medium-haul routes in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East on sale, which are operated with a fleet of Airbus A319, A320, A320neo and A321 models. 

Given the present circumstances, Vueling advises all customers to continue to use its digital tool on the web and mobile app, where up-to-date information on the documents necessary to travel to each destination is provided. 

Dohop powers intermodal agreement between Vueling and Deutsche Bahn

Portugal’s airline joins Dohop’s growing network of partner airlines

Azores Airlines has joined our network of partner airlines to offer new global destinations, utilising Dohop Interline to connect to Transavia Smart Connect.

Dohop today announced that Azores Airlines has joined their growing network of partner airlines to offer new global destinations, utilising Dohop Interline to connect to Transavia Smart Connect.

Azores Airlines, part of the SATA Group, offers customers a wide range of flights across Europe, North America, and Africa. This latest agreement integrates SATA on Transavia Smart Connect, adding new destinations across the Azores to the platform.

Customers who want to purchase a ticket on Smart Connect to any of the destinations on the SATA network in the Azores will be able to do so with a single reservation managed through the Dohop platform. All ticket sales will be made without the need for interline relationships or codeshare agreements. Dohop also enables customers to purchase a wide range of ancillary products during the booking process, including a full suite of fare classes and offers, as well as seat maps for each carrier.

“Our partnership program enables innovative airlines like Azores Airlines to offer more destinations and reach new markets while unlocking additional revenue streams. Customers will experience a smooth booking process and seamless service throughout. We are pleased to be adding Azores Airlines to Transavia Smart Connect, expanding their service and providing new commercial opportunities as we head into 2022.”

Chief Commercial Officer at Azores Airlines

“We are very pleased to be part of such an innovative idea, as the Transavia pioneer partner airline in this project. We are confident that the partnership with Transavia Smart Connect, will maximise passenger travel experience, providing a seamless way to connect with the Azores”

“Smart Connect knows how to cleverly link different flights. With the user-friendly platform, we offer our passengers more convenience in searching for combined flights and we offer them the opportunity to discover even more beautiful islands of the Azores. The partnership with Azores Airlines is the first of many new collaborations, in which we use Smart Connect”

Dohop is an Icelandic technology company with 17 years of experience in developing innovative solutions in the field of aviation and travel. Our core technology is focused on connecting the unconnected, helping people to find and create connecting itineraries. Being at the forefront of digital innovation in the field of virtual interline technology, Dohop has developed solutions such as Dohop Interline and Dohop Intermodal for forward-thinking airlines, alliances, and airports around the globe, including easyJet, Transavia, Air France, Eurowings, Vueling, and Air Transat.

Established in the Azores in 1941, and with more than eighty years of History, SATA Group has at its core the depth of the Azorean soul and is committed to overcoming the archipelago’s isolation.

Composed of two airlines (SATA Air Açores and Azores Airlines) and an aerodrome managing body in the Archipelago of the Azores, the SATA Group has affirmed itself as an international airline that embraces the mission of building Atlantic bridges between the Azores and the world. SATA Airlines currently operates a network of regular national and international routes, playing an essential role in the economic and social development of the Autonomous Region of the Azores.

Transavia is a member of the AIR FRANCE KLM Group. The airline is the number one budget airline and the second largest airline in the Netherlands. For 55 years, the airline has been offering scheduled and charter flights to more than 150 destinations, primarily in Europe and North Africa. Since August of 2020, travellers can use Transavia Holidays to put together a complete holiday package, with a flight, accommodation and the option of including a rental car, transfer or activity. Transavia Holidays is a member of the ANVR and SGR consumer protection and travel guarantee fund. Transavia is the most accessible budget airline in Europe and a leader in hospitality, service and digital services. Transavia offers both leisure and business travellers an attractive basic ticket price with additional (paid) products and services. Transavia carries more than 20 million passengers a year and operates with a new and environmentally-friendly fleet. Transavia offers flights from eight bases in Europe. In the Netherlands, from Amsterdam, Rotterdam/The Hague and Eindhoven. From Belgium, flights depart from Brussels and from France, Transavia flies from Paris, Montpellier, Nantes and Lyon.

Dohop adds Azores Airlines to the Transavia Smart Connect platform

Dohop, the virtual interlining technology provider has announced significant innovation in expanding into the world of Intermodal Connections, easily moving from the plane to the train.

Dohop serves the strong need for new technology platforms that smoothly combine air to rail transactions and provide seamless connections between the two.

Connecting flights is not a new concept and airlines and train companies are quickly understanding that combining their transport networks will result in a win-win situation for both suppliers and consumers, and there is a strong need for new technology platforms that smoothly combine air to rail transactions and provide seamless connections between the two. Dohop provides the platform for this.

“Dohop has been innovating since bringing virtual interlining into the market and this is just another great example of keeping ahead of the industry and enhancing the passenger experience. In many countries rail is the obvious onward connection from the airport so combining the two makes perfect sense from a passenger convenience perspective.  Intermodal can work for full service and low-cost carriers alike and this is where the unique technology offered by Dohop which is open to all comes into play. In working with Dohop this is another way that we at AirlinePros can assist our clients with new distribution solutions that will lower their cost, lower the operating complexity while bringing in incremental new traffic.  This is another step change for the future, and we are excited to work with our partners and Dohop on expanding Intermodal.”

“Establishing a partnership with AirlinePros is of great value to us. They work with plenty of airlines so they have an extensive network, and they have great people with significant industry background and experience. Together, we see huge potential in the market for intermodal connections, not only allowing airlines to extend their network to ground transportation providers and thus being even more eco-friendly, but also allowing their customers to benefit from a larger number of connections to places their favourite airline does not fly to.”

AirlinePros working with Dohop on the innovative progress with Intermodal Connections

The future of interline is about to happen, and Dohop is here to take you there. Nick Ashton shares his journey of building future partnerships with Dohop.

Ever since I was a child, I’ve had an interest in planes, trains and travelling. As I grew older and ventured overseas, I developed a real interest in how connections worked and how I could earn extra frequent flyer miles if I took a cheaper flight from London to Tokyo via Hong Kong, rather than a direct flight when I travelling between the UK and Japan as I worked on the JET Programme. This was really where my interest in Airline Partnerships and Alliances began.

“As API opportunities presented themselves, I began to question why this couldn’t be used to enable one airline to sell another.”

Some years later, I earned a place in the British Airways Leaders for Business Graduate programme. There I gained experience across the airline, from working at the airport, network planning in a global financial crisis and even as cabin crew. But it was Alliances that held my interest, and that’s what I chose at the end of the graduate scheme.  

As my career developed, I gained experience in Alliances departments at three other airlines: Qatar Airways (Full Service), Virgin Australia (Hybrid) and Vueling (Low Cost). Across each of the carriers, I began to understand the advantages and disadvantages of partnerships, Interline and Codeshare, across these different models.

It was at Virgin Australia, where I managed the relationship with Etihad, that I first learned about NDC and the potential to develop richer content that could be provided more directly to the customer, improving an airline’s distribution capability. As API opportunities presented themselves, I began to question why this couldn’t be used to enable one airline to sell another.

Upon leaving Australia to move to Vueling, I sat with the then Group Executive of Virgin Australia, John Thomas, to seek his advice on how to approach partnerships at a low-cost carrier hosted in Navitaire. John highlighted the Via Milano and Gatwick Connects programmes which had been designed to improve the self-connections they were seeing, as travellers sought value by booking two separate tickets, one on a full-service (ticketed) carrier, and another on a low-cost (ticketless) carrier. easyJet had been growing their capacity at both airports, and it was clear that savvy travellers were comfortable with creating their own connecting itineraries to get from A to C via B.

“If we could make our rich, dynamic API content available to aggregators and OTA’s, why couldn’t we use this for partnerships?”

Shortly after joining Vueling, I was transiting through Gatwick when I saw that Vueling were listed on the Gatwick Connects product displayed in arrivals. As Head of Alliances, I was unaware that we were participating in this platform, and I started to dig around to understand how this was possible and why this wasn’t in my remit. That is when I really began to learn about and understand the power of API connectivity. If we could make our rich, dynamic API content available to aggregators and OTA’s, why couldn’t we use this for partnerships? Traditional Interline and Codeshare have always had limitations in regard to the suite of content you can offer, particularly as the industry moves more towards an unbundled, ancillary led product proposition.

Not long after this, I was contacted by a Masters student at Cranfield who asked me to read his thesis on self-connections, as he sought to qualify and quantify the potential of this concept. Literally, a day after I had sent him my thoughts, news flashed across the industry about a product launching called Worldwide by easyJet. I followed up my e-mail to Jan Never, suggesting that he might need to update his summary.

“…if it is difficult for ticketed carriers to work with ticketless airlines, it is another challenge altogether to work with rail or bus operators. However, what was immediately obvious was that if both parties have API content, there is the possibility of enabling interoperability, which has led me directly to Dohop.”

Through my time at Vueling, I was wrestling with the complexities, limitations and problems associated with interline and codeshare, particularly as a low-cost, nominally ticketless carrier. Many airlines wanted to take advantage of our extensive network in Barcelona, Rome, Paris and Amsterdam. Still, it was costly and complex for us to implement multiple interline relationships, and we were unable to deliver bilateral agreements. In addition to this, our ability to handle their customer requirements, particularly when we had schedule change or disruption scenarios, was limited. The IT team always did a super job to deliver functionality, but more often than not, the solutions provided were sticky-plasters rather than scalable, automated, process-driven solutions. 

What was clear to me was the potential for us to leverage the distribution strength of partners to sell our services and connections, but that the mechanic we were using was sub-optimal for our model. It was at this time, with support from colleagues in Distribution and IT, that we really began to look at “Direct Connect” opportunities, where partners consumed our API content, and Virtual Interline platforms, where we could a) provide our API content for others to sell, and b) distribute theirs by consuming their API content. 

With this in mind, I became involved in IATA’s Future of Interline working group as they look to develop their One Order and SRSIA (Standard Retail and Supplier Interline Agreement) concepts. In turn, this led to the Intermodal working group – if it is difficult for ticketed carriers to work with ticketless airlines, it is another challenge altogether to work with rail or bus operators. However, what was immediately obvious was that if both parties have API content, there is the possibility of enabling interoperability, which has led me directly to Dohop.

Dohop, as the technology behind Gatwick Connects and Worldwide by easyJet, has long been the pioneer and leader of the Virtual Interline, API driven concept. Furthermore, as they have delivered platforms and new connection options for their customers, their ability to service the requirements of increasing numbers of airlines with the content they require has been expanding. 

The onset of COVID certainly provided Dohop with many challenges, but it has also presented opportunities. As airlines reduce their networks, operations, capex and sadly, headcount, the need to deliver low-cost connection opportunities that leverage your API capability has become quite clear. Airlines need to maintain their networks, fill their aircraft and concentrate on developing their own product to best position themselves for the return of demand. Ongoing changes in the distribution landscape mean that focusing on your own API and API NDC content as part of your distribution strategy has become even more critical. What Dohop offer is the ability to plug in that API content to the platform, and give yourself access to an increased amount of partners and content, including the ability to offer ancillaries, which you can’t in the interline and codeshare environment, without having to implement multiple agreements. Oh, and you can also offer content from providers who aren’t airlines. 

The future of interline is about to happen, and Dohop is here to take you there.

The journey that led me to help build the future of partnerships with Dohop

Embracing the Future of Partnerships: Highlights from Dohop PartnerConnect 2023

Related stories

CBS News "A Moment With..." features David Gunnarsson, CEO Dohop, to talk technology and innovation as a guiding force in travel

Jazeera Airways Launches ‘Jazeera Global’ in partnership with Dohop

Dohop powers intermodal agreement between Vueling and Deutsche Bahn